RAF Bawtry

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RAF Bawtry was located at Bawtry Hall in Bawtry and was No. 1 Group RAF Bomber Command Headquarters and administration unit during and following WWII.

1 History
2 Currently
3 Reference source
4 See also

[edit] History

Bawtry Hall itself, was erected around 1785 by a prosperous wool-merchant from Wakefield Yorkshire.

During the Second World War the RAF took it over and it became an RAF command centre. RAF Bawtry did not have its own Airfield but instead took advantage of RAF Bircotes, which located literally next-door. Here the Station based a number of Communications aircraft.

Bawtry Hall served the Royal Air Force from 1941 - 1984; first as HQ for No. 1 Group, Bomber command during and after WWII, then as Strike Command HQ up to and including the later stages of the Cold War. The famous bombing of the airfield at Port Stanley by Vulcan bombers from RAF Finningley during the Falklands conflict was co-ordinated from the operations room at Bawtry Hall. Source: http://www.actionpartnerscorp.org.uk/hospitality/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=37&Itemid=1

RAF Bawtry became the centre of the RAF Meteorological Service for many years and ceased military operations in 1986.

No.1 Group Bomber Command Based at RAF Bawtry was comprised as follows: -

Airfield .	Squadron	Aircraft Type	Number of Aircraft .
RAF Elsham Wolds	103 Sqn	Lancaster I and III	17
RAF Elsham Wolds	576 Sqn	Lancaster I and III	8
RAF Kirmington	166 Sqn	Lancaster I and III	23
RAF Ingham	300 (Polish) Sqn	Wellington X	23
RAF Ingham	300 (Polish) Sqn	Lancaster I and III	0 - Re-equipping
RAF Wickenby	12 Sqn	Lancaster I and III	16
RAF Wickenby	626 Sqn	Lancaster I and III	14
RAF Grimsby	100 Sqn	Lancaster I and III	18
RAF Grimsby	550 Sqn	Lancaster I and III	7
RAF Ludford Magna	101 Sqn	Lancaster I and III	22
RAF Binbrook	460 Sqn RAAF	Lancaster I and III	27
RAF Kelstern	625 Sqn RAAF	Lancaster I and III	17

During the Miners' Strike in the mid-1980's, up to 17,000 Police were based at RAF Bawtry to provide a central Operations and co-ordination point on the South Yorkshire / Nottinghamshire border.

[edit] Currently

The Air Training Corps Squadron (2008 Sqn) is still located at the former site on Park Road in Bawtry.

They are back at Park Road, and are in the "new building" and are anticipating the other building to be knocked down soon.

2008sqn (Bawtry) ATC have a new building situated right on top of where the former buildings used to be, the squadron is a fully functioning unit that regularly attend flying, gliding, and shooting practises. Currently the squadron is known for its high quality of cadets, especially in the form of road marching- it is one of the few squadrons that regularly participate in walking and road marching events, and is the only formation in Yorkshire to have completed the 4 day nijmegan march (100 miles)